What a beautiful first full day of Autumn!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 2,282
What a beautiful first full day of Autumn!
It was perfect. Sometimes it helps to stop for a minute, forget our
problems (or whatever we imagine to BE problems)...and just appreciate
the wonder of it all.
For the first time in many years, I actually missed the moment of
equinox ( I was doing something else).....but that just lets us know the
miracle continues----whether we are conscious if it or not.
SR doesn't have enough server space for me to list all the good things
I have been so honored to be a part of. I will wager that none of you
reading these words cannot find something to be grateful for on this second
beautiful day of Autumn.
Enjoy this day, kindred souls.......and all the days that follow.
problems (or whatever we imagine to BE problems)...and just appreciate
the wonder of it all.
For the first time in many years, I actually missed the moment of
equinox ( I was doing something else).....but that just lets us know the
miracle continues----whether we are conscious if it or not.
SR doesn't have enough server space for me to list all the good things
I have been so honored to be a part of. I will wager that none of you
reading these words cannot find something to be grateful for on this second
beautiful day of Autumn.
Enjoy this day, kindred souls.......and all the days that follow.
Nature Girl
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
Vale, your posts always pick me up and make me appreciate all that I have.
Here, autumn often gets a bum wrap because winter follows, but around these parts it's the loveliest time of the year.
The mountains are flame red and yellow and the geese gather on my little bay, preparing for the journey south by teaching this year's new young 'uns how to fly in a V and call out to each other on take off and landing. Did you know that if a goose goes down injured or sick, while flying south, another goose goes down with it to stay with it until it dies or gets well enough to join another flock? We can learn from the geese.
I am grateful to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by autumnesque splendour.
This is the little village in the mountain and some of the ski hills, I took this last year early one morning when the sun set the mountainside alight with beauty, it will take another week or two for full colour, but I thought I'd share it with you.
And this is my favourite shore walk place...the bay is awesome on a windy autumn day and the air is pure oxygen and smells wonderful...
.
Here, autumn often gets a bum wrap because winter follows, but around these parts it's the loveliest time of the year.
The mountains are flame red and yellow and the geese gather on my little bay, preparing for the journey south by teaching this year's new young 'uns how to fly in a V and call out to each other on take off and landing. Did you know that if a goose goes down injured or sick, while flying south, another goose goes down with it to stay with it until it dies or gets well enough to join another flock? We can learn from the geese.
I am grateful to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by autumnesque splendour.
This is the little village in the mountain and some of the ski hills, I took this last year early one morning when the sun set the mountainside alight with beauty, it will take another week or two for full colour, but I thought I'd share it with you.
And this is my favourite shore walk place...the bay is awesome on a windy autumn day and the air is pure oxygen and smells wonderful...
.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 2,282
Thanks for the awesome pics, Ann!
That hillside is aflame.
Funny you brought up the wounded
geese behavior . Somewhat analagous
to what we do here ------ when do we
stay , for how long, and when is it time
to rejoin the flock ?
The only people who consistently annoy
me are the ones who have pat answers to
every life mystery or question. "I don't know"
is not in the subset of their possible answers---
and that makes me sad for them.
I don't know what would have happened
in my addict situation had I made other choices.
Death is a game ender in that regard, and so I
never will know.
I'm ok with that. The Autumn is too fresh,
and I'm going to enjoy that . At 54, Vale could
be said to be on the eve of HIS Autumn, but
he's ok with that, too.
How could those flicks of silver do anything
other than accentuate the feathers of such a fine
aquatic bird?!?!
That hillside is aflame.
Funny you brought up the wounded
geese behavior . Somewhat analagous
to what we do here ------ when do we
stay , for how long, and when is it time
to rejoin the flock ?
The only people who consistently annoy
me are the ones who have pat answers to
every life mystery or question. "I don't know"
is not in the subset of their possible answers---
and that makes me sad for them.
I don't know what would have happened
in my addict situation had I made other choices.
Death is a game ender in that regard, and so I
never will know.
I'm ok with that. The Autumn is too fresh,
and I'm going to enjoy that . At 54, Vale could
be said to be on the eve of HIS Autumn, but
he's ok with that, too.
How could those flicks of silver do anything
other than accentuate the feathers of such a fine
aquatic bird?!?!
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: WI
Posts: 1,426
Our Dear Vale,
Is this a "stop and smell the roses?" thread? Slow down and enjoy what we have, what we are blessed with. Yes, my friend, this was a very exceptional day, warm and sunny, especially up here in Wisconsin.
Today I had a perfect and rare day with my younger daughter. She was so at peace with herself. She opened up and talked to me and spend hours helping me clean in preparation for winter. She even asked me what her passions were and what she loved to do when she was 8 yrs old. That was an interesting question, especially coming from the quiet daughter.
She had just told me that she's been sober for one year. Wow, she never talks about the lost years and even said she would come with me to one of my Friends and Families meetings!
And earlier she agreed to make an appt with her counselor, for a "time up".
It was just like the old days Vale, and I was sooooo duckingly grateful to hug her and tell her that I loved her so much!
Also, Ann, what a magnificent photo! Oh my, we are just starting to get a few spots of color before we are buried under feet of snow! How lucky you are to live in that color and thanks so much for sharing it!
That fact you said about the geese always watching out for each other, especially if they are injured or sick...do you imagine that us duck lovers would do the same about the sweetest pilot we know??? Yes, yes I know we would do that.
I am grateful for ducks, color, family and being alive!
Life is so precious, I enjoyed life today. Yep Vale, we are honored to have you looking out for us. You take such good care of the members of SR!! I am grateful for that!
Thankful for ducks,
TF
Is this a "stop and smell the roses?" thread? Slow down and enjoy what we have, what we are blessed with. Yes, my friend, this was a very exceptional day, warm and sunny, especially up here in Wisconsin.
Today I had a perfect and rare day with my younger daughter. She was so at peace with herself. She opened up and talked to me and spend hours helping me clean in preparation for winter. She even asked me what her passions were and what she loved to do when she was 8 yrs old. That was an interesting question, especially coming from the quiet daughter.
She had just told me that she's been sober for one year. Wow, she never talks about the lost years and even said she would come with me to one of my Friends and Families meetings!
And earlier she agreed to make an appt with her counselor, for a "time up".
It was just like the old days Vale, and I was sooooo duckingly grateful to hug her and tell her that I loved her so much!
Also, Ann, what a magnificent photo! Oh my, we are just starting to get a few spots of color before we are buried under feet of snow! How lucky you are to live in that color and thanks so much for sharing it!
That fact you said about the geese always watching out for each other, especially if they are injured or sick...do you imagine that us duck lovers would do the same about the sweetest pilot we know??? Yes, yes I know we would do that.
I am grateful for ducks, color, family and being alive!
Life is so precious, I enjoyed life today. Yep Vale, we are honored to have you looking out for us. You take such good care of the members of SR!! I am grateful for that!
Thankful for ducks,
TF
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 2,282
Twofish,
Ducks suck. No two ways about it! They quack incessantly,
make a disgusting mess everywhere they go --- and are
generally just a pain in the ass.
But occasionally ( but ONLY occasionally!) you come across
one that is just a TINY bit less annoying than the others.
I am honored that you place me in that category.
I am so happy that you shared that time with your
youngest daughter!
Ducks suck. No two ways about it! They quack incessantly,
make a disgusting mess everywhere they go --- and are
generally just a pain in the ass.
But occasionally ( but ONLY occasionally!) you come across
one that is just a TINY bit less annoying than the others.
I am honored that you place me in that category.
I am so happy that you shared that time with your
youngest daughter!
Nature Girl
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
At 54, Vale could be said to be on the eve of HIS Autumn, but he's ok with that, too. How could those flicks of silver do anything other than accentuate the feathers of such a fine aquatic bird?!?!
And your post made me ponder about how we all wonder, sometimes, where life might have taken us had we made different choices along the way. There are parts of my life that I would not wish on my worst enemy and yet I wouldn't trade a day of it with anyone. Without the pain along the way I don't believe that my life would be as peaceful, tranquil, and filled with beauty that I notice as it is today.
I missed a few autumns along the way, preoccupied with darker clouds of addiction that hung over me. No more, today every day of every autumn is embraced and lived well. Autumn has taught me well that seasons change, life changes, the flow of nature changes...and all is well and as it should be.
Happy Autumn, Vale and Twofish and Zoso and everyone pondering here for a while.
Pale amber sunlight falls across
The reddening October trees....
Are we not better and at home
In dreamful Autumn, we who deem
No harvest joy is worth a dream?
A little while and night shall come,
A little while, then, let us dream...
~Ernest Dowson, "Autumnal"
Sober since 10th April 2012
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 6,047
Spring here
I was going to post a photo of spring wildflowers, but although they are exquisite in WA, and many are unique to their local area, they don't photograph well. So I've gone with something different, taken just a week ago. The highest peak was climbed by yours truly. There is a path, so it's like climbing a 3.5km stairway.
Stirlings.jpg
Stirlings.jpg
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 2,282
I haven't been to WA since my 20s. But I do remember it's otherworldly beauty.
Lest we forget, our Aussie friends experience springtime during our autumn!
I think this is FeelingGreat's gentle way of correcting the general (and wrong!)
Northern hemispheric bias.
Another thing I remember......constellations at night, none of which I recognized
(save the southern cross).....and there is a hell of a lot of water (seldom traveled)
between WA and South Africa.
Lest we forget, our Aussie friends experience springtime during our autumn!
I think this is FeelingGreat's gentle way of correcting the general (and wrong!)
Northern hemispheric bias.
Another thing I remember......constellations at night, none of which I recognized
(save the southern cross).....and there is a hell of a lot of water (seldom traveled)
between WA and South Africa.
Sober since 10th April 2012
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 6,047
Originally Posted by Vale 
I haven't been to WA since my 20s. But I do remember it's otherworldly beauty.
Lest we forget, our Aussie friends experience springtime during our autumn!
I think this is FeelingGreat's gentle way of correcting the general (and wrong!)
Northern hemispheric bias.
Another thing I remember......constellations at night, none of which I recognized
(save the southern cross).....and there is a hell of a lot of water (seldom traveled)
between WA and South Africa.
Lest we forget, our Aussie friends experience springtime during our autumn!
I think this is FeelingGreat's gentle way of correcting the general (and wrong!)
Northern hemispheric bias.
Another thing I remember......constellations at night, none of which I recognized
(save the southern cross).....and there is a hell of a lot of water (seldom traveled)
between WA and South Africa.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 2,282
Don't get too impressed.The 'concern' I was attached to was nearly thrown out of Perth because some imbeciles attached to an embarked (subordinate) concern had
'imbibed' too much and had tossed a television set out of a high rise! It was just short of
an international incident and a source of enduring and heartfelt shame to the 4999 of us
who had nothing to do with it. After 4 solid months in the Indian Ocean, the Australian
people opened their hearts and their homes to us in manner in which I will never forget----
The civil senior (mayor,prefect? I have no idea) had every right to boot the entire battle
group out of Perth harbor......but graciously declined to do so.
Noone got hurt,thankfully. But the senior officer of the battle group lost face and the
involved individuals had their careers summarily truncated with extreme prejudice. Even
now......well over 3 decades later.....I find the incident painful to remember.
But on the other side of the continent, only 20 years after, my son and I climbed
Sydney bridge......the purest form of tourist hokum (cables/harnesses/attached to a metal
track!).........it was marvelous beyond measure! It was shortly after a major terror event
(of which we are all familiar) and loading my entire family on a Qantas out of LAX was
my way of saying "Foxtrot Uniform" to the perpetrators.
But my arrival in NSW was not without trepidation.........
Noone mentioned the Perth incident, and I certainly didn't volunteer any information!
(there are trees in Australia, and rope is easy to find...... I didn't want to be swinging
from the former by the latter)
'imbibed' too much and had tossed a television set out of a high rise! It was just short of
an international incident and a source of enduring and heartfelt shame to the 4999 of us
who had nothing to do with it. After 4 solid months in the Indian Ocean, the Australian
people opened their hearts and their homes to us in manner in which I will never forget----
The civil senior (mayor,prefect? I have no idea) had every right to boot the entire battle
group out of Perth harbor......but graciously declined to do so.
Noone got hurt,thankfully. But the senior officer of the battle group lost face and the
involved individuals had their careers summarily truncated with extreme prejudice. Even
now......well over 3 decades later.....I find the incident painful to remember.
But on the other side of the continent, only 20 years after, my son and I climbed
Sydney bridge......the purest form of tourist hokum (cables/harnesses/attached to a metal
track!).........it was marvelous beyond measure! It was shortly after a major terror event
(of which we are all familiar) and loading my entire family on a Qantas out of LAX was
my way of saying "Foxtrot Uniform" to the perpetrators.
But my arrival in NSW was not without trepidation.........
Noone mentioned the Perth incident, and I certainly didn't volunteer any information!
(there are trees in Australia, and rope is easy to find...... I didn't want to be swinging
from the former by the latter)
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 2,282
Originally Posted by Ann
I hear you Vale. In the autumn of my years I have traded my "restored to its natural colour" red hair for "naturally platinum"...or as my brother says "Mrs. Clause white". Harummph.
And your post made me ponder about how we all wonder, sometimes, where life might have taken us had we made different choices along the way. There are parts of my life that I would not wish on my worst enemy and yet I wouldn't trade a day of it with anyone. Without the pain along the way I don't believe that my life would be as peaceful, tranquil, and filled with beauty that I notice as it is today.
I missed a few autumns along the way, preoccupied with darker clouds of addiction that hung over me. No more, today every day of every autumn is embraced and lived well. Autumn has taught me well that seasons change, life changes, the flow of nature changes...and all is well and as it should be.
Happy Autumn, Vale and Twofish and Zoso and everyone pondering here for a while.
Pale amber sunlight falls across
The reddening October trees....
Are we not better and at home
In dreamful Autumn, we who deem
No harvest joy is worth a dream?
A little while and night shall come,
A little while, then, let us dream...
~Ernest Dowson, "Autumnal"
And your post made me ponder about how we all wonder, sometimes, where life might have taken us had we made different choices along the way. There are parts of my life that I would not wish on my worst enemy and yet I wouldn't trade a day of it with anyone. Without the pain along the way I don't believe that my life would be as peaceful, tranquil, and filled with beauty that I notice as it is today.
I missed a few autumns along the way, preoccupied with darker clouds of addiction that hung over me. No more, today every day of every autumn is embraced and lived well. Autumn has taught me well that seasons change, life changes, the flow of nature changes...and all is well and as it should be.
Happy Autumn, Vale and Twofish and Zoso and everyone pondering here for a while.
Pale amber sunlight falls across
The reddening October trees....
Are we not better and at home
In dreamful Autumn, we who deem
No harvest joy is worth a dream?
A little while and night shall come,
A little while, then, let us dream...
~Ernest Dowson, "Autumnal"
Your post (as always) touched my heart.
Yes.Paths not taken.
Enabling was wrong-----but I had no idea what the word meant before this
odyssey began. Now I do.
Would I go back to 2008, see her in such dire straits----and turn away,
say "sucks to be you", or even giggle a bit over such an epic life forfeit?
No. What I have learned was worth far more than the price of
admission. Humility is a difficult lesson for the comfortable to learn.
Sometimes it takes a tap or two with a rubber hose (or, if one is
a particularly stubborn member of an aquatic fowl group-----a swift
kick to the gonads)......to get the message.
No longer do I see down and outs as losers, failures, or unworthy of
consideration. I see captive souls whom I am powerless to free. But I am
not powerless to give them the respect and compassion due all of God's children,
regardless of their station in this life.That is my choice, and I choose to take it.
Yes, the tuition was high. But this student paid attention and got
maximum benefit from his invested education dollar.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 111
I don't come here as much as I used to - thank you for the beautiful thread with photos. You guys are the mainstay of this place.
I have found more local sources of support and activism. Prescription drugs and what it leads to are killing our children... and other loved ones
Look in to The Addict's Mom and Change Addiction Now - both have local chapters around the country.
I hate was this drug has done to my son.
And, I hate what is has done to me and my family.
But it is happening to so many people.
God bless you all for what you are doing on this forum.
b.
I have found more local sources of support and activism. Prescription drugs and what it leads to are killing our children... and other loved ones
Look in to The Addict's Mom and Change Addiction Now - both have local chapters around the country.
I hate was this drug has done to my son.
And, I hate what is has done to me and my family.
But it is happening to so many people.
God bless you all for what you are doing on this forum.
b.
Nature Girl
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
More autumn thoughts from my neck of the woods, it occurs to me that autumn is harvest time, a time where we reap what we sowed and can take a breath and enjoy the beauty and the supply of nourishment that will see us through days ahead.
Isn't that a lot like recovery? In early recover, or spring if you will, the seed is planted and it is up to us whether we nurture ourselves and do the work we need to do, weeding out old behaviours, keeping the soil or our souls clear of debris and useless habits, keeping the "woulda's, coulda's, and shoulda's" at bay and defoliating the guilt that grows in the corner of our minds.
In the summer of our recovery we begin to see the sprouts of clarity, we continue to keep our garden well tended and maybe add some duck fertilizer (ha ha couldn't resist) and add to our recovery by sharing and learning from others.
Autumn is our reward, for all the hard work. Around my parts it is the Scarecrow Festival time, when the scarecrows are no longer scary but fun and they adorn every doorway, every lamp post, and randomly make us smile through the Apple Festival that follows.
Today I will give Thanksgiving (we Canucks celebrate our Thanksgiving in October) for my recovery and all the wonderful people I have met on this journey. And as I search for my turkey....I will remember fondly a duck named Vale who, in spite of his quacking, is just a fuzzy sweet fellow traveler who makes the journey more fun.
Sharing a little more joy from my neck of the woods...
.
Isn't that a lot like recovery? In early recover, or spring if you will, the seed is planted and it is up to us whether we nurture ourselves and do the work we need to do, weeding out old behaviours, keeping the soil or our souls clear of debris and useless habits, keeping the "woulda's, coulda's, and shoulda's" at bay and defoliating the guilt that grows in the corner of our minds.
In the summer of our recovery we begin to see the sprouts of clarity, we continue to keep our garden well tended and maybe add some duck fertilizer (ha ha couldn't resist) and add to our recovery by sharing and learning from others.
Autumn is our reward, for all the hard work. Around my parts it is the Scarecrow Festival time, when the scarecrows are no longer scary but fun and they adorn every doorway, every lamp post, and randomly make us smile through the Apple Festival that follows.
Today I will give Thanksgiving (we Canucks celebrate our Thanksgiving in October) for my recovery and all the wonderful people I have met on this journey. And as I search for my turkey....I will remember fondly a duck named Vale who, in spite of his quacking, is just a fuzzy sweet fellow traveler who makes the journey more fun.
Sharing a little more joy from my neck of the woods...
.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 793
Here's one from my early autumn, a couple of weeks ago. I was taking a picture of the purple wildflowers and heard a flock of geese coming in for a landing--moved my head to the right just in time!
Happy Autumn of Our Recovery Work!
Happy Autumn of Our Recovery Work!
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 13,560
Amazing photos, thank you for sharing. The trees will be changing here very soon, I cannot wait. Fall is my favorite time of year! I am having a bonfire/pumpkin carving party for my DD's and their friends this year. I have been working hard to get my back yard ready. My oldest just turned 15 and has a boyfriend, that is a good outdoorsy thing for them to do w/lots of people around LOL!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: WI
Posts: 1,426
Vale,
So powerful your words are....
Hummmm, would I, should I, have changed a few things? Turn away, walk away and not care and wish all that pain on someone else and say "sucks to be you"??
To not support or love or feel or grieve? Would I have changed a few things?
Or go back further, rethink some decisions some parenting beliefs some major choices I've made these past 50 years?
I don't know, to be turned inside out and feel such intense unforgiving pain that keeps giving...to be sick with someone else's disease?
I'm on the fence on this one Vale and my honesty is killing me.
Yes the lessons learned came at a high price and yes it is worth, the price we paid, worth every tear and heart string broken, we paid. The lesson was learned.
No there's not a person in my life or the world that i see as a failure, loser, unworthy or not good enough.
Yes I have that choice too. I can't fix anyone else but me...but I can give respect, compassion, support and love.
A lot of education, being brave, opened my eyes. Wide open.
Bless the addict, the family and the friends who remain trapped within this disease and to the ones who have found their way out.
Everyone, have a colorful, peaceful Autumn weekend!
TF
So powerful your words are....
Hummmm, would I, should I, have changed a few things? Turn away, walk away and not care and wish all that pain on someone else and say "sucks to be you"??
To not support or love or feel or grieve? Would I have changed a few things?
Or go back further, rethink some decisions some parenting beliefs some major choices I've made these past 50 years?
I don't know, to be turned inside out and feel such intense unforgiving pain that keeps giving...to be sick with someone else's disease?
I'm on the fence on this one Vale and my honesty is killing me.
Yes the lessons learned came at a high price and yes it is worth, the price we paid, worth every tear and heart string broken, we paid. The lesson was learned.
No there's not a person in my life or the world that i see as a failure, loser, unworthy or not good enough.
Yes I have that choice too. I can't fix anyone else but me...but I can give respect, compassion, support and love.
A lot of education, being brave, opened my eyes. Wide open.
Bless the addict, the family and the friends who remain trapped within this disease and to the ones who have found their way out.
Everyone, have a colorful, peaceful Autumn weekend!
TF
Nature Girl
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
GardenMama, that is an exquisite shot and such a lovely picture indeed. I love it when nature just steps into our shots and makes them something special. You can't arrange shots like that, you just have to show up with your camera and catch it when it happens.
FeelingGreat, I love the picture from your corner of the world too. It's truly a gift that we here, from all over the world, can share friendship every single day and walk this path together.
Hugs
FeelingGreat, I love the picture from your corner of the world too. It's truly a gift that we here, from all over the world, can share friendship every single day and walk this path together.
Hugs
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